Pine Processionary Treatment:
Health and Safety

The Pine Processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is not just a forest pest; it is a major public health issue on the Costa Cálida. Their stinging hairs can cause severe allergic reactions in children and adults, and most alarmingly: they can cause the death of pets (dogs and cats) in a matter of hours through asphyxiation or tongue necrosis.

At Servinmosol we have the ROPO certification (Official Register of Producers and Operators) to apply advanced phytosanitary treatments that eliminate the pest without putting residents' health at risk.

Endotherapy: The Clean and Effective Solution

Traditional aerial fumigation is increasingly restricted in urban areas. Because of this, we specialize in Plant Endotherapy.

This technique involves injecting the treatment directly into the vascular system of the pine trunk at low pressure.

• Total Safety: Because there is no spraying, there is no risk to people, children, or pets playing under the tree. It is harmless to the environment.

• Prolonged Efficacy: The product is distributed throughout the tree reaching the needles (leaves) eaten by the caterpillars, eliminating them before they form the nest.

• Wildlife Friendly: It only affects the caterpillar feeding on the pine, respecting birds and other beneficial insects.

The Biological Cycle: When and How to Act

The success of the treatment depends on the timing of the application. It is useless to apply the same method in August as in February:

☀️ Summer (Monitoring and Flight Control)

During the hot months, the pest is in the nocturnal moth phase. To anticipate this, we install pheromone traps in summer (to capture male moths and prevent reproduction). By interrupting mass mating, we drastically reduce the number of eggs that will hatch in the next season.

🍂 Autumn (Prevention - The Key)

This is the optimal time for Endotherapy (October - January). We attack the caterpillar in its earliest larval stages when it is tiny and vulnerable, preventing it from forming the characteristic white winter nests. By injecting the treatment at this stage, the pine is armored from the inside, cutting off the biological cycle before the caterpillars develop their stinging hairs.

❄️ Winter/Spring (Shock Treatment)

If there are already visible nests, the caterpillar is on its way down. Here we perform mechanical cutting of nests (high pruning) and the placement of trap rings on the trunk that capture the caterpillars on their descent to the ground to bury themselves. These collars act as a physical and ecological barrier that directs the caterpillars into a closed collection bag, completely preventing them from forming processions on the lawn or sidewalks.